Golfs Most Brutal Challenge Set To Unravel This Week At Shinnecock Hills

How tough is Shinnecock Hills, especially when the golf course is set up by the United States Golf Association (USGA)?It’s the only golf course to host a major championship that was won with an over-par score in over a decade. That happened in 2018, when someone as battle-hardened as Brooks Koepka needed 281 shots over four days on the par-70 course. And that was made possible only because the USGA decided the course was getting out of control and tried to tame it for the final round.In the last 10 years of major championships, the lowest winning score at the Masters was 5-under by Danny Willett in 2016, the lowest at the Open Championships is eight-under by Francesco Molinari at Carnoustie (2018), and the lowest in the PGA Championships is Justin Thomas’ five-under at the 2022 tournament at Southern Hills Country Club.2018 was also the tournament that saw the hilarious sight of Phil Mickelson running after his first putt to tap the ball while it was still in motion. He shot 81 that day, raised a huge controversy about rules and ethics, but played an important role in convincing the USGA that they needed to water the greens to keep the golf course playable.The previous US Open at Shinnecock, in 2004, needed a champion who was steely enough to walk away from a golf course after getting struck by lightning. That was South African Retief Goosen. Things got ridiculous in the final round that year as the average score ballooned to 78.7 because of wind and dry playing conditions. The USGA needed to water a few greens in between groups playing late in the day to keep them playable on Sunday.A relentless golf courseShinnecock Hills, situated at the eastern tip of Long Island near New York, is the only golf course to host a US Open in three different centuries, the first one held in 1896, which was the second year of the tournament.There are a lot of things that make this course a nightmare for most players. The most difficult challenge, professionals would agree, is the green complexes at Shinnecock. Almost every green is inverted saucer-shaped, and they are heavily sloped and undulating with false fronts. These are then exacerbated by the wind whipping up from the nearby Atlantic Ocean, which makes the greens and fairways extremely firm and fast. Firm fairways also mean that it is difficult to keep the drives from rolling into the penal fescue and rough. Then there is the most important factor – the course set-up done by the USGA, where they try to heighten the challenges in every possible way.There is a great mix of long and short par-3s, par-4s and par-5s, but the one that needs to be on your watch list is the 157-yard, par-3 11th. The green sits nearly 40 feet above the tee, and your best bet is to be on the green. Anything long, short and sideways is a guaranteed bogey. It’s so severe, the legendary Lee Trevino called it “the shortest par-5 in golf”.Players to watch, if they aren’t named Scheffler or McIlroyTommy Fleetwood: Runners-up in 2018 after a stunning final-round 63. The course was softened a bit that day, but it just showed how well elite golfers can score. He has the game to overcome the linksy Shinnecock, and despite a shocking missed cut at the PGA Championship, he has two top-fours and a 11th place in his last three starts.Wyndham Clark: Let’s forget that last year he was smashing locker-room furniture after missing the cut at Oakmont Country Club. The American is in brilliant form, having won the CJ Byron Nelson, finishing third in the Memorial and tied 11th at the RBC Canadian Open in his last three starts.Tyrrell Hatton: I’d put him as the LIV Golf player with the best chance this week, even ahead of his Legion XIII Captain Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. The mercurial Englishman is in good form, having recently played brilliantly to win LIV Golf Andalucia at the demanding Valderrama.Cameron Young: He loves playing the majors. And he is in splendid touch this year, having already won twice – the Players Championship and the Cadillac Championship. This is one guy who loves a fight.Alex Fitzpatrick: It’s already been a career-transforming year for the younger brother of Matt. But the way he has embraced playing in America, it won’t be a surprise if he is contending again this week.